hajavshãoWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“haja” and “hão” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#2,327
“haja” frequency rank
#24,033
“hão” frequency rank
26360
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature haja hão
Definition primeira pessoa do singular do presente do conjuntivo do verbo haver terceira pessoa do plural do presente do indicativo do verbo haver

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set haja and hão apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
haja
3 ch
hão

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

haja and hão form a confusable pair in the Portuguese index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 26360, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

haja is recorded at frequency rank #2,327, classified as averb. hão is at rank #24,033, tagged as averb, pronounced /ˈɐ̃w̃/ [ˈɐ̃ʊ̯̃].

Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.

With a confusion score of 26360, this pair ranks #42,819 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Frequency comparison

haja#2,327
hão#24,033

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "haja" and "hão" be used interchangeably?
No, "haja" and "hão" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering haja vs hão

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “haja” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list